Illuminated knob

ABSTRACT

A knob assembly for angular positioning of a rotatable control shaft comprising an outer opaque cap member having an eccentric aperture through a face portion thereof and an inner light transmitting sleeve member fitting within the cap and onto the control shaft. The sleeve member has an end projection protruding into the aperture so that light striking the sleeve member away from the end projection is transmitted through the sleeve member and is visible at the aperture on the cap face. The cap and sleeve members are rigidly attached to one another and the sleeve member end projection is angularly movable as part of the knob assembly to illuminatingly indicate relative control shaft position in dimly lit environments. Variously colored lighttransmitting materials, such as acrylic resins comprise the sleeve member and variously colored or coated opaque materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins comprise the cap member.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Eugene S. More:

River Grove, Ill. [21] Appl. No. 7,118 [22] Filed Jan. 30, 1970 [45]Patented Nov. 9, 1971 [73] Assignee Chicago Musical Instrument Co.

Lincolnwood, Ill.

[54] ILLUMINATED KNOB 7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 240/2.13, 74/553, 116/124 [51] Int. Cl E05b 17/10 [50] FieldoiSearch 116/133, 124, 124.4; 240/213, 1 E1; 74/553,504, 813,10, 10.32

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,566,069 12/ 1925 Buchholzet al. .1 1 16/ 1 24.4 2,334,479 11/1943 Creager 116/129 UX 2,502,9154/1950 Atkins et al.. 74/553 2,699,141 1/1955 Gaguski 116/1244 2,768,60310/1956 Fisher 116/1244 2,943,596 7/1960 Frost 116/124 3,064,494 11/1962 Brewster 74/504 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attorney-J-lill,Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT: A knob assembly for angularpositioning of a rotatable control shaft comprising an outer opaque capmember having an eccentric aperture through a face portion thereof andan inner light transmitting sleeve member fitting within the cap andonto the control shaft. The sleeve member has an end projectionprotruding into the aperture so that light striking the sleeve memberaway from the end projection is transmitted through the sleeve memberand is visible at the aperture on the cap face. The cap and sleevemembers are rigidly attached to one another and the sleeve member endprojection is angularly movable as part of the knob assembly toilluminatingly indicate relative control shafi position in dimly litenvironments, Variously colored light-transmitting materials, such asacrylic resins comprise the sleeve member and variously colored orcoated opaque materials, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resinscomprise the cap member.

ILLUMINATED KNOB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to a method and means of visually indicating relativeangular position of a rotatable control shaft.

Prior Art Rotatable control shafts are used in a wide variety ofinstrumentalities to regulate various functions. Included within suchinstrumentalities are various musical instruments and relatedamplifiers, tone control devices, etc., which are occasionally utilizedin dimly lit environments, such as in various places of entertainment,nightclubs, etc., where the user has little or no illumination tovisually determine the position of a particular control shaft.

Prior practice for visually indicating angular position of a controlshaft included placing an unilluminated contrasting mark on the outerface of a knob rotating the control shaft and a plurality of similarmarks concentric with the knob on a stationary surface behind the knobwhereby a user rotates the knob and attached control shaft to a desiredposition by matching the knob mark with a particular mark on thestationary surface. Other known practices dispense with the marks on thestationary surface behind the knob and require the user to approximatethe desired angular position of the knob mark in relation to its fixedor zero position so as to determine the relative position of the controlshaft. Such known prior practices require sufficient light to ascertainthe marks on the knobs and/or surrounding stationary surfaces andaccordingly are greatly restricted in their utility in dimly litenvironments.

A somewhat related prior practice provides illuminated jewellike on-offindicators on stationary surfaces of a device, such as a musicalinstrument or the like, to indicate the operative state of the device.Such indicators are not suitable for use with rotatable knobs and/orcontrol shafts since they require electrical conduits for operation andsuch conduits tend to become entangled and/or broken during rotationalmovement of their terminals. Further, such close proximity betweenelectrical conduits and control shafts poses a substantial safety andoperational hazards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a method ofilluminatingly indicating relative control shaft position bytransmitting light to a visible selected area of a knob assembly mountedon the control shaft from a spaced light source whereby the illuminatedselected area is movable with the knob assembly and provides anilluminated indicator of the relative control shaft position so as to bevisible in all light environments.

Although a wide variety of knob constructions may be utilized inpracticing this method of illuminatingly indicating control shaftposition, one particularly suitable knob construction includes providinga knob assembly comprising an outer opaque cap member having aneccentric aperture through its face portion and an innerlight-transmitting sleeve member fitting within the cap member and ontothe control shaft. The sleeve member is provided with an end projectionthat is in registry with and extends into the aperture so as to transmitlight from the opposite end of the sleeve member to the cap faceportion.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a methodand means of illuminatingly indicating control shaft angular position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and meansof indicating control shaft angular position in dimly lit environments.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide arotatable knob assembly for angularly positioning a control shaft andhaving a mechanical method and means of illuminatingly indicating therelative angular position of the control shaft.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description of a certain preferred embodimentthereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawings inwhich a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles ofthe invention is shown by way of illustrative example and in which:

FIG. 1 is an essentially elevational diagrammatic view of a knobassembly embodying the novel features of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevational plan view taken along lines IIII of FIG. I withsome parts in phantom to indicate their relative position.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS The principles of the invention areparticularly useful when embodied in a knob construction such as shownin FIG. I, which is exemplary of a knob assembly having the presentinvention.

The knob assembly 10 is mounted on a control shaft 11, which may be ofany angular shape so as to be frictionally engageable by the knobassembly and is here shown as being somewhat D-shaped having ahalf-round bottom portion Ilb and a rectangular upper portion 11a (bestseen in phantom cross section at FIG. 2) for receiving a conventionalretainer clip (not shown). The control shaft 11 is operatively connectedto some adjustable control (not shown) on a device (not shown) such as aguitar, organ, amplifier, etc., and is selectively angularly rotatableto adjust the particular function being controlled.

The illustrated knob assembly 10 comprises an outer opaque cap member 13and an inner light-transmitting sleeve member 12 suitable joinedtogether to form an integral knob assembly.

The cap member 13 is generally cup shaped having an outer or visibleface portion 13a with a tubular side portion 13b. The user grasps thecap member along the side portion 13b and rotates the same about itsaxis to a desired extent. The cap member 13 is so formed that theexposed surface portion of the face 13a is essentially perpendicular tothe axis of the side portion 13b. The inner surface 13c of the side 13bis generally tubular but is slightly frustoconical to facilitateconstruction assembly.

An eccentrically positioned aperture l3e is provided on the face 13a.The aperture He is defined by a plurality of straight edges defining agenerally regular geometric shape, i.e., a rectangle, such as shown atFIG. 2. The aperture is preferably positioned eccentrically, that isnear the outer boundary of the face portion so as to enable a user toreadily determine the angular position thereof.

The cap member 13 is composed of any totally or substantially opaque(i.e., poor light transmitting or translucent) material such as metal,synthetic resin material, plastic material, etc. Preferably the capmember is composed of an opaque synthetic resin material which is eithernaturally opaque or is provided with a means, such as a coating or thelike to yield the desired opaqueness to the cap member. A particularlyuseful opaque synthetic resin material is anacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin material.

The sleeve member 12 has a cross section which is generally T-shapedhaving a cylindrical hollow stem portion 12a provided with ahollow-shaped passageway for receiving and frictionally engaging thecontrol shaft 11. The interior hollow shaft passageway generallyconforms to the shape of the control shaft so as to provide frictionalengagement therewith whereby rotation of the sleeve membercorrespondingly rotates the control shaft in a well-known manner. Thesleeve member 12 has an enlarged head portion 12b integrally formed withthe stem portion 120. The head portion 12b generally abuts the backsideof face portion 130 of the side 13- -b of the cap member 13 and isprovided with an eccentric end projection 12c in registry with and of asize to mate with the aperture 132. The end projection 12a extends intoand through aperture 132 and is so shaped as to form a slightlyprotruding jewel on the face 130. Thus, the end projection He is visibleto view at the outer face 130. As explained below, a selected area onthe knob assembly thus is transparent or slightly translucent for readypassage of light and is visibly disposed whereby any light transmittedfrom the interior of the knob assembly will be visible at its outer faceportion.

A tubular side portion 12f is integrally formed with the head portion12b of the sleeve member 12 and is provided with a frustoconical outersurface 121: to match the similarly shaped surface 13c of the cap member13. The side portion 12f extends axially as far as the side portion 13bto provide full support therefor.

The entire sleeve member 12 is composed of a suitable light-transmittingmaterial that is compatible with or at least noninterfering with thecontrol shaft 11. Thus, for example, when the control shaft regulates anelectronic device, the material is an electrical insulator.Light-transmitting synthetic resin materials are generally preferredbecause of their availability and workability (i.e., they are readilyshaped into desired configurations). Acrylic plastics material areparticularly useful and styrene-acrylonitrile resin materials areexceptionally well suited for light-transmitting characteristics.

The sleeve member 12 is free of any light-interfering coatings or thelike and is transparent or slightly translucent to visible light.Various dyes may be incorporated into the synthetic material with theresultant colored material yielding a colored jewel projection, whichwhen internally illuminated, as by means lamp means 15, gives anaesthetic and readily visible indicator.

The sleeve member 12 is rigidly attached to the cap member 13 by asuitable means that does not interfere with the lighttransmittingproperties of the sleeve member and one particularly suitable means forattachment is by way of ultrasonic welding, which is a well knowntechnique in the art. The use of adhesives and like foreign materialsmay interfere with the light-transmitting ability and colorcharacteristics of the sleeve member and is to be avoided.

The tubular portion 12a of the sleeve member 12 projects through acabinet wall 16 to a region adjacent to one or more lamps 15. Lightenters into an end of the sleeve member 12 away from the projection 12cand is transmitted through the sleeve member to the projection and isvisible thcreat. In this way neither the heat or the electrical energyfrom the light source affects the knob assembly or the control shaft.This separation of energies insures the proper operation of the devicebeing regulated by the control shaft and also the safety of the user.Additionally, such internally illuminated control shaft positionindicators are easily visible under all lighting conditions making themextremely useful for use on musical instruments and like devices thatmay operate in dimly lit environments.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the projection 12:? is angularly movable throughany desired angle A by selective rotation of cap member 13. Variousopaque finishes or coatings can be applied to face 13a for increasingcontrast and aesthetic effects as desired. Also the outer surfaces ofthe knob assembly, such as the face 13a and side surface 13b may begiven special surface effects, such as brushing, polishing, knurling,etc., as desired. Further, various exposed comers of cap member 13 andthe projection 12c may be bevelled as shown to eliminate sharp comersfrom the knob assembly.

The invention provides a method of visibly indicating relative angularposition of a rotatable control shaft by providing a light source spacedfrom the control shaft and masked from view, providing a knob means onthe control shaft for selectively rotating the control shaft and theknob having an eccentric light-transmitting area visible to view andtransmitting light to the selected light-transmitting area from thelight source whereby the eccentric area is illuminated from within andindicates the relative angular position of the control shaft.

The knob assembly is provided with an opaquegenerally cupshaped capmember having a visible face portion and means on said face portiondefining an eccentric aperture and a lighttransmitting sleeve member ofgenerally T-shaped cross section fitting within the cap member andattached to the cap member at a surface adjacent to the visible face.The sleeve member is provided with a shaped passageway for receiving andfrictionally engaging the control shaft and is also provided with an endprojection in registry with the aperture in the cap member and extendinginto the aperture whereby light striking the sleeve member away from theend projection is visible at the face portion. The light-transmittingsleeve member may be provided with a dye as desired to enable it tofilter the light so that where a plurality of such knob assemblies areutilized, a different color of projections can be provided to indicatedifferent control knobs.

Although various modifications might be suggested to those versed in theart, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope ofthe patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonably andproperly come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A knob assembly for angular positioning of a rotatable control shaftcomprising,

a generally cup-shaped cap member having a surface defining an outervisible face portion,

means defining an eccentric aperture on said face portion,

and

a sleeve member of generally T-shaped cross section fitting within saidcap member and attached to said cap member, said sleeve member beingprovided with an end projection in registry with said aperture andextending into said aperture, said members having a contrastinglight-transmitting capabilities wherein light striking the sleeve memberaway from the end projection is transmitted to said projection.

2. A knob assembly as defined in claim I wherein the means defining aneccentric aperture comprise a plurality of edges joined at their ends todefine a geometrically regular shape.

3. A knob assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the sleeve member iscomposed of a styrene-acrylonitrile resin material.

4. A knob assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein thestyrene-acrylonitrile resin material is provided with a colored dye.

5. A knob assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the cap member iscomposed of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material.

6. A knob assembly according to claim 1 in which said cap member issubstantially opaque and in which said sleeve member is substantiallytransparent.

7. A knob assembly for angular positioning of a rotatable control shaftcomprising:

a. a generally cup-shaped cap member having a surface defining an outervisible face portion,

b. means defining an eccentric aperture on said face portion; and

c. a sleeve member fitting within said cap member and attached to saidcap member, said sleeve member being provided with an end projection inregistry with said aperture and extending into said aperture, saidmembers having a contrasting light-transmitting capabilities whereinlight striking the sleeve member away from the end pro jections istransmitted to said projection.

i 1Q i Q t

1. A knob assembly for angular positioning of a rotatable control shaftcomprising, a generally cup-shaped cap member having a surface definingan outer visible face portion, means defining an eccentric aperture onsaid face portion, and a sleeve member of generally T-shaped crosssection fitting within said cap member and attached to said cap member,said sleeve member being provided with an end projection in registrywith said aperture and extending into said aperture, said members havinga contrasting light-transmitting capabilities wherein light striking thesleeve member away from the end projection is transmitted to saidprojection.
 2. A knob assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the meansdefining an eccentric aperture comprise a plurality of edges joined attheir ends to define a geometrically regular shape.
 3. A knob assemblyas defined in claim 1 wherein the sleeve member is composed of astyrene-acrylonitrIle resin material.
 4. A knob assembly as defined inclaim 3 wherein the styrene-acrylonitrile resin material is providedwith a colored dye.
 5. A knob assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein thecap member is composed of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material.6. A knob assembly according to claim 1 in which said cap member issubstantially opaque and in which said sleeve member is substantiallytransparent.
 7. A knob assembly for angular positioning of a rotatablecontrol shaft comprising: a. a generally cup-shaped cap member having asurface defining an outer visible face portion, b. means defining aneccentric aperture on said face portion; and c. a sleeve member fittingwithin said cap member and attached to said cap member, said sleevemember being provided with an end projection in registry with saidaperture and extending into said aperture, said members having acontrasting light-transmitting capabilities wherein light striking thesleeve member away from the end projection is transmitted to saidprojection.